French Government Forbids Massive Climate March in Wake of Terror Attacks

The decision comes after coordinated terrorist attacks rocked the city, killing 129 people.

A makeshift memorial next to the Bataclan concert hall in ParisAmr Nabil/AP


After nearly a week of speculation and urgent meetings between environmental groups and security officials, the French government has finally made its decision: The giant rally planned for the eve of the UN climate summit will be canceled due to “the heightened security situation,” according to a statement issued by 350.org, the US-based environmental group.

Organizers had expected to attract around 200,000 protesters to the Paris march, which was slated to occur along with other rallies in cities around the world. The event was intended to urge leaders to sign an ambitious and binding agreement to limit global warming.

“This is a source of huge regret, but we must respect the decision. Huge numbers were expected in Paris, but those people will not be silenced,” said François Julliard, executive director of Greenpeace in France. “We will find new, imaginative ways to ensure our voices are heard in the UN conference center and beyond.”

“This is a source of huge regret, but we must respect the decision. Huge numbers were expected in Paris, but those people will not be silenced.”

In the wake of last Friday’s terrorist attacks, which claimed the lives of 129 people in Paris, French authorities effectively locked down the city, shut down the country’s borders, and allowed police officers to limit crowds in public spaces—a state of emergency that French President Francois Hollande says should stay in place for three months. Overnight, the French capital remained in crisis mode as police tactical units swarmed an apartment building in the suburb of Saint-Denis, where suspected jihadists had holed up.

Environmental groups faced another setback in today’s announcement by the French government. So-called “mobilizations” scheduled for December 12, near the end of the summit—street actions that included blockades and civil disobedience—have been explicitly forbidden by the authorities.

“The government can prohibit these demonstrations, but it can not stop the mobilization and it won’t prevent us strengthening the climate movement,” wrote 350.org’s Nicolas Haeringer in an emailed statement. The situation remains in flux. Despite having no concrete plans, environmental groups are still urging people to make the trip to Paris. “Organizers are also encouraging activists to still plan on coming to Paris for the final days of the conference to make sure people, not the polluters or politicians, have the final word,” said Haeringer.

More Mother Jones reporting on Climate Desk

AN IMPORTANT UPDATE

We’re falling behind our online fundraising goals and we can’t sustain coming up short on donations month after month. Perhaps you’ve heard? It is impossibly hard in the news business right now, with layoffs intensifying and fancy new startups and funding going kaput.

The crisis facing journalism and democracy isn’t going away anytime soon. And neither is Mother Jones, our readers, or our unique way of doing in-depth reporting that exists to bring about change.

Which is exactly why, despite the challenges we face, we just took a big gulp and joined forces with The Center for Investigative Reporting, a team of ace journalists who create the amazing podcast and public radio show Reveal.

If you can part with even just a few bucks, please help us pick up the pace of donations. We simply can’t afford to keep falling behind on our fundraising targets month after month.

Editor-in-Chief Clara Jeffery said it well to our team recently, and that team 100 percent includes readers like you who make it all possible: “This is a year to prove that we can pull off this merger, grow our audiences and impact, attract more funding and keep growing. More broadly, it’s a year when the very future of both journalism and democracy is on the line. We have to go for every important story, every reader/listener/viewer, and leave it all on the field. I’m very proud of all the hard work that’s gotten us to this moment, and confident that we can meet it.”

Let’s do this. If you can right now, please support Mother Jones and investigative journalism with an urgently needed donation today.

payment methods

AN IMPORTANT UPDATE

We’re falling behind our online fundraising goals and we can’t sustain coming up short on donations month after month. Perhaps you’ve heard? It is impossibly hard in the news business right now, with layoffs intensifying and fancy new startups and funding going kaput.

The crisis facing journalism and democracy isn’t going away anytime soon. And neither is Mother Jones, our readers, or our unique way of doing in-depth reporting that exists to bring about change.

Which is exactly why, despite the challenges we face, we just took a big gulp and joined forces with The Center for Investigative Reporting, a team of ace journalists who create the amazing podcast and public radio show Reveal.

If you can part with even just a few bucks, please help us pick up the pace of donations. We simply can’t afford to keep falling behind on our fundraising targets month after month.

Editor-in-Chief Clara Jeffery said it well to our team recently, and that team 100 percent includes readers like you who make it all possible: “This is a year to prove that we can pull off this merger, grow our audiences and impact, attract more funding and keep growing. More broadly, it’s a year when the very future of both journalism and democracy is on the line. We have to go for every important story, every reader/listener/viewer, and leave it all on the field. I’m very proud of all the hard work that’s gotten us to this moment, and confident that we can meet it.”

Let’s do this. If you can right now, please support Mother Jones and investigative journalism with an urgently needed donation today.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate